Edward IV Penny – Irish

The finder of this coin said it turned up somewhere in Leicestershire. The coin was struck at Dublin and in Coins of Scotland, Ireland and the Islands it is listed as number 6397. Pennies of this type used to be quite rare but over recent years several examples have been found in England. 

Irish pennies weighed less than their English counterparts so there were exported to England in high numbers. Many purposely copied the design of English pennies in order to make them more acceptable in England. So many were exported that the end result was a shortage of coins in Ireland. Around one in four of the pennies of Edward IV that are unearthed in England are Irish. 

As is always the case, this Irish penny is short of flan but it is exceptionally fine for the suns and roses type; indeed, it is by far the best specimen I have seen as a detecting find.